Lilies & Whiskey
by Libraborn
Summary: Lilith Shepard was an Irish orphan living on the streets of Vancouver. Convinced to join the Alliance, she was set on the path to meet the hardened mercenary Zaeed Massani. Can he keep her strong, even when she is at her worst?
1. Chapter 1

John Carter leaned against the door, waiting to hear the beep of a taxi. _One last time…and then I'll have enough money to get her a home she deserves…her and the bebé. _He glanced around the small one-bedroom home that he shared with his fiancée, Hannah Shepard. His lips formed a soft, half-smile at the thought of her. If it weren't for that woman's kind spirit, his life would be so different. He'd always been a mercenary; guns, blood, and money were not strangers to him. The company was rough, but her…she'd changed it all with one smile. John closed his eyes, looking back into his memories. His crew's target had been just outside of Dublin, the place of his birth. He snorted and rolled his eyes beneath their lids. The little bastard had practically played cat and mouse with them, but couldn't hide forever. It'd taken someone threatening the man's family for him to finally come out into the open. At the time, John hadn't understood why any man would keep such a weakness so close to his side. No dame he'd met had been worth the trouble really…not then.

_The pub was full of energy that evening. Patrons' voice rang louder as they drank away the sorrows of their weeks. He stood, leaning with his back to the bar and elbows resting along its top._

"_John, did you see that group of broads that just walked in? One of them was a sniper's worst nightmare?"_

_He raised an eyebrow at Adam, one of his teammates, before glancing toward the door. "Aye, I did, lad. She's a carpenter's dream; flat as a board and never been nailed by the looks of it." He turned as he heard the bartender slap down the shot of Four Roses Whiskey he'd ordered and picked up the glass. He swirled the liquid slightly. Throwing his head back, he downed the shot. "Gods, I've missed that stuff."_

"_Aye…Four Roses is good, but it makes for a nasty spin the next morning."_

_He raised his eyebrow and glanced to the young woman who had just sat beside him. Her hair fell down her back in strawberry blonde waves. Her pale skin was dotted lightly with freckles. Her lips and bosom were full and distracting to say the least…enough so that he stared and was caught. _

"_Enjoying the view, lad?" She smirked knowingly and winked._

"_More than you know." He winked back. "Name's John."_

"_How vague…My name's Hannah." She signaled the bartender. "Four Roses."_

"_Make that two."_

"_You trying to keep up with me, amor?" Her eyes twinkled as she smiled at him._

_John's breath nearly caught in his throat. Women didn't cause his insides to feel like they were quaking…but this woman…she did. "Aye, I feel up for the challenge."_

Two years later, they were engaged, with a baby on the way. His emerald green eyes popped open, sparking at the thought. _I'm going to be a Papa. _He straightened up, hearing a car pull up outside. "Hannah, my ride's here," he called through the living room. He smiled, watching her walk slowly toward the living room, with a wince on her face.

She looked up, realizing he was watching her. "Don't look at me like that, John. I'm not some wounded animal. Your bebé seems to think my bladder is a playground, so I'm just moving a little slowly."

He smiled and raised his arms, wrapping them around her growing form. He murmured happily as he felt her arms wrap around his back and her head softly nuzzle his chest. "Hannah, I promise I'll be back in two months…before the bebé is here." John withdrew slightly, leaving one arm around her and placing the other hand on her distended stomach. "This is my last job. It's supposed to be a large payout. Then I'm retiring, coming home to you, and settling down with our new family."

"I know. I just don't like you to be gone that long. I worry. You know you have the worst luck; if something can go wrong it will." Hannah Shepard replied sweetly as she looked to the man in front of her. _Déithe, he has the brightest green eye_s_._ She loved it when he placed his large calloused hand on her stomach to feel their bebé move inside of her. In just three more months, they'd have a whole new life; no more mercenary work for John, and they'd both be here in Vancouver with their child.

"Maybe you should go stay with your parents until I return, just in case. I don't like you staying here alone in your current condition."

Hannah's eyes narrowed as she looked at him, all playfulness replaced by a determined angry look on her face. "Non! I will not go to my pais after the way they treated you! I was told that if I left with you not to bother coming back…and I don't plan to! É por iso que está no Vancouver en Canadá, a súa casa non é miña!" She paused, taking a deep breath to calm down, the way her parents treated John when they met him and found out what he did for a living still made her angry. "I'll be fine, dear. It's just two months, right? Besides, I want to be here when you return. I'll be in no condition to travel in two months."

"You're right. You'll be fine. You always were too stubborn and strong-willed for your own good." John added with a smirk. He kissed her on top of her wavy strawberry blonde hair and turned toward the door. "Stay safe. I'll be back before you know it." He grabbed his bag from the floor and headed out the door to the taxi waiting to take him to the spaceport.

Hannah hurried to the door and called out after his retreating form. "Eu te amo!"

Turning to look out the taxi window, the brightest smile lit his face. "I know, and I love you, too, lass!" He waved as the taxi took off.

3 YEARS LATER

"Lilith, go wash your hands before dinner. Don't make me tell you again, neno." Hannah frowned at her high-spirited little one.

Pouting, Lilith stomped into the other room and climbed on the stool that her mother had sat up for her. Turning the water on, she looked into the mirror at herself. A little girl with strawberry blonde ringlets down to her shoulders and bright green eyes smiled back at her. Her face was marred with smudges of dirt on her cheeks from playing outside. She grinned broadly, flashing her teeth at the mirror. _My eyes aren't the same color as Mama's. I know! Maybe they look like my dad's. _Haphazardly, she splashed water on her face to remove the dirt. Wiping her face on the towel by the sink, she hopped down and ran back into the kitchen to her mother, with her hands still dripping wet. "Mama, do I have my daddy's eyes? Who is my daddy? Can I see him?"

Startled, Hannah turned toward her daughter. She inhaled slowly, hoping to calm herself before speaking. "Why do you ask, filla?" Caution rang in her voice.

Nonchalantly, Lilith shrugged and pursed her lips slightly. "Jimmy said everyone has a daddy. I told him I didn't, and he said I had to have one somewhere. Do I Mama? Do I have a daddy? Where is he?"

Frowning, Hannah picked up her small child and sat her in her lap. Trying to busy herself, she took a small dishtowel and began drying off her daughter's hands. She breathed evenly, trying to hold back the tears. "Si, Lilith. You had a Papa, and he loved us very much. He left for work one day and never came back…but he would be so proud of you."

Lilith reached up and wiped the tears that escaped her mother's eyes away curiously. "Mama, why are you crying?"

"I just miss your Papa, bebe."

oooOOOooo

Lying in bed that night, Lilith woke up to a pounding at the door. She heard her mother get up quietly trying not to wake her and speak to someone urgently. "Please, John is dead. Let me live out the rest of my life without him in peace. I don't know what happened on your mission, so it's not like I can tell anyone." She heard a loud smack as her mother grunted and crumbled to the floor. Scared, she climbed out of bed and crawled under its corner furthest from her door. Her ears were filled with the sounds of men stomping through her house. Frightened, she curled up in a little ball, in hopes of trying to make herself invisible.

"I thought she had a kid?" one of the men grumbled.

"She does, that's all John talked about before Adam shot him. I think everyone was tired of him rambling on about retiring to take care of his girl and kid. He should've known better; no one in our business retires. I have to give it to him though…he sure did catch a looker. Maybe we'll have some fun with her before we finish her off. See if you can find what we're looking for. If you find the kid, get rid of her. She shouldn't be that much of a problem anyhow. She ain't that old...probably doesn't even know who her pops is." He smirked at the thought.

Lilith sat there curled up for what felt like days. She shook at hearing her mama's screams of pain. Hannah had begged them to stop and leave her be because she didn't know what they were looking for. For hours, her tiny frame stayed huddled under the bed, crying silent tears and unsure of what else to do. Finally after hours of silence, she crawled out of her room to see her mother's hand sticking around the corner. "Mama?" She slowly crawled up to her, looking around the room to make sure there was no one else there. "Mama, get up." She reached out and touched her mother's cold cheek; her body felt stiff and cold beside her. Her chest ached as she curled up next to her mother's broken body. Lilith bit her lip, tasting copper, as she held back the wail building within her. Thunder clapped outside, shaking their tiny home, as her tears began to fall, mirroring the rain on their windows.

oooOOOooo

Carrie's brow furrowed as she looked over at June. "She hasn't spoken for days. I'm really worried; she hasn't even tried to play with the other kids. Do you think we should call in help with her case?"

"Nah, she'll come around. She went through a pretty traumatic ordeal. The cops said it might take a while for her to warm up to anyone. I mean it's not like they lived in the best neighborhood to begin with. I'm sure she's heard all kinds of nasty things; guns shots, screams, yelling…there's no telling. Give her some time. She'll be fine. I think she's a tough one." June nodded toward little Lilith, huddled up in the corner.

One week ago, Lilith had been brought to this orphanage. June and Carrie were surrogate caretakers for the group of small children. She hadn't really caught more than their names so far, but it was of her own accord. She hadn't said a word to anyone, well, except for her name when they asked…but then they asked if she knew what happened. The memories were too fresh and scary for her to process. She just wanted her Mama. She didn't care about the other kids, nor did she want to play with any of their toys. Her tiny fist slammed down on the ground, causing a small burst of pain to shoot up through her arm. She looked down at it, realizing that she'd somehow gotten her hands dirty. Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered her Mama telling her to go wash up for supper. She closed her eyes, trying to hold onto the memory of Mama's face. Without warning, a pair of warm arms wrapped around her. Frightened, she flinched and looked up to see a girl smiling at her. She was a little older than Lili. Her caramel skin stood out in contrast against Lili's paleness. Straight black hair framed her oval face, housing chocolate eyes rimmed with sadness.

"You look like you needed a hug."

Lilith tilted her head slightly. Her teeth lightly graze the corner of her lip as she nervously nodded her head. The older girl sat beside her and reached out her arms toward her. Shocked, Lilith tensed momentarily as she allowed Britnee to wrap her arms around her. She smiled softy; it felt good to be close to someone again. She hadn't let anyone close enough to touch her since she was brought here.

Finally at peace, Lilith fell asleep with Britnee's arms around her. For the first time since she was brought here, she slept without nightmares. Instead, she dreamt of a man with curly blonde hair and bright green loving eyes picking her up, swinging her around and smiling at her. Her Mama walked up behind them, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "Lilith, this is your Papa."

oooOOOooo

Lilith and Britnee became inseparable; she was the only person Lilith had any more. They went everywhere together, even though Britnee was two years older than Lilith. To them, they were sisters. It was as if she had been given a second chance at life. Unfortunately, her past had an eerie way of following her. When Lilith was thirteen, she had her first real scare in decades. She had been dreaming of the night when her mother was attacked again. Britnee had been asleep in the bed beside her, but awoke due to a bright light in the room. Lilith's body was bathed in a brilliant blue glow. Britnee grabbed Lilith's arm and shook her repeatedly, trying to wake her up. Her voice was full of urgency "Lilith, Lilith, wake up. You're glowing!" She heard about kids that could do this, and they usually got sent away. She didn't want her little sister to go.

Lilith's body kept growing brighter as she mumbling incoherently in her sleep. When her eyes finally opened, all the dark energy that had been flowing around was released. A shockwave went out from her young body, throwing Britnee into the wall across the room. Terrified, Lilith jumped up from her bed and tried to make her way to Britnee, but could feel her knees growing weaker by the second. Her body was not used to being so depleted of energy. She collapsed right next to Britnee, only moments before Carrie and June rushed into the room.

oooOOOooo

Lilith woke up in a bright white room with beeping all around her. She blinked rapidly as the onslaught of brilliant light. A small cough beside her caught her attention. Lilith glanced off to the side and saw Britnee lying on the bed next to her. A white bandage wrapped around her head, and her arm was encased in plaster, waiting for a break to heal. A single tear escaped her eye, realizing she had done this to her best friend…her sister. She started as a gentle hand placed on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw June sitting beside her, watching them carefully. "She's going to be fine Lilith; just a minor concussion and a broken arm…but Carrie and I would like to know what happened."

Scared, Lilith swallowed hard. "I'm not sure. I was dreaming, and I remember her shaking me, calling my name…something about glowing. When I open my eyes, she flew across the room. I'm sorry! I didn't mean for it to happen!" Her voice quaked as she finished.

"I know, and it's going to be okay. It looks like you have a touch of biotics in you. I always knew you were a special one." June said with a smirk.

oooOOOooo

That night Lilith lay in bed thinking. _I could have killed her, or at the very least, I could have seriously hurt her! I don't think I can live through losing Britnee._ In the dark, a tear slid down her cheek._ I'm dangerous; I heard a nurse say so…but, would they really allow me to come back here if I was a danger to the other kids? What about the younger ones? What would have happened if it were one of them and not Britnee? _She sighed exasperatedly. There was only one option to keep them safe, but it was going to be lonely._ I have to leave. I can't stay here anymore._ Determined to see her plan through, Lilith grabbed what she needed and crawled through the window, in her and Britnee's room, to the fire escape outside. Leaving was the only way to protect the one person she remembered loving after her mama…and to be honest with herself, she couldn't remember much of her mama anymore either. She shuddered slightly and forced herself to conjure up the image of both their faces. _I won't forget you…either of you._

Translations:

Mama Mom

Papa Dad

Amor Love

Déithe Gods

Filla Daughter

Neno Child

Non No

Si Yes

Pais Parents

Eu te amo! I love you!

É por iso que está no Vancouver, Canadá; a súa casa non é miña! That is why we are in Vancouver, Canada; your home not mine!


	2. Chapter 2

Ancient trees formed a towering ring around the lake just outside the colony. Their sentinel reflections created a mirror image along the water's surface, only broken by the occasional dock or boat near the southern rim. Two young men walked along the rocky face of the northern side of the lake. Their movements were instinctual; any teenager from Annwn had climbed this set of rocks at one time or another. It was a calming place that allowed one time to think…to reflect…to escape. No words passed between them, but sounds of celebration drifted up from the colony; a young couple had just gotten married. The troubled man in the lead cringed briefly as the joyous noise reached his ears. _Goddamn it! It's too early for this shit. Ma hasn't been in the ground more than a few fucking days. _His blue eyes watered for barely an instant before he shook his head, clearing the demons there. As he reached the rocks' edge, his companion finally broke their silence. "What about your dad, Z?"

Zaeed's blue eyes closed briefly. His donor had never been a favorite topic of conversation. He shrugged as he took a seat on the rocky shore. "Dunno. The bastard walked out on Ma before I was bloody born."

He frowned as he stood beside Zaeed, while crossing his arms over his chest. "So who are you going to be staying with?"

Zaeed looked up at his good friend, Vido, before looking back out across the lake and shrugging. "No one, I'm goin' to stay in Ma's house until I leave this goddamn rock. I'm sixteen…and can bloody take care of myself. I did just fine when Ma was sick. I don't need anyone else."

Vido sat down beside him. He figured Zaeed would want to be out here. He always came out here when his ma had a particularly bad day, and he had to call the doctor in for her. "Well, you're going to at least need a job; I heard old man Morgan is looking for some help on his farm." Vido grinned and nudged Zaeed in the side. "You know that granddaughter of his is sex on legs, too." He knew Zaeed had a reputation to uphold, and that fox fit right into the type of broad he would go after.

Zaeed looked at Vido and grinned. He definitely wouldn't mind working around that every day. Alice Morgan was definitely the hottest thing he had ever seen. That dame was tall with raven black hair. Her lightly tanned skin was kissed by the sun of Annwn itself. She had eyes the color of rich whiskey and lips the color of rauttberries, which he had been told were very similar to the raspberries back on Earth. "You know, Vido…I think I'll go by there tomorrow."

oooOOOooo

"Boy, what are you goddamn doing in here? You haven't got any of your shit done today! What the hell am I paying you for?"

Zaeed looked over his shoulder at Old Man Morgan with a cocky smile plastered on his face. "Relax Old Man. When have I not gotten all the bloody work you gave me done?" He turned back to his work bench and continued calibrating the firearm that Morgan had given him. Not long after he had come to work for Morgan, the old man discovered Zaeed had a natural affinity for firearms. He had been given an assault rifle and instructed to deal with the large vermin that had been preying on the crops, but without damaging them. Thanks to his efforts, this had been the best crop harvest the farm had seen in years. However, it also meant that Zaeed spent more time fine-tuning his gun than he did working around the farm.

Morgan grumbled as he turned, leaving Zaeed standing at his work station in the barn. "You better be glad you're a good worker, Massani." Zaeed smiled to himself as Morgan stopped at the door of the barn. "Say, you haven't seen Alice around today, have you?"

Zaeed turned eagerly to face Morgan. Leaning against his workbench with his arms crossed against his broad chest, he smiled cockily at Morgan, knowing it would get under the old man's skin. "Alice is here today?"

Morgan narrowed his eyes at Zaeed. "Forget I bloody asked." He turned and stormed out of the barn, leaving Zaeed's cold blue eyes watching him with a smile on his face.

"If he only knew how much better you are with your own gun."

Zaeed turned as Alice walked out from behind some crates. He smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hungrily kissed his lips. "You better go see what gramps wants."

Alice murmured against his neck, sending chills down his spine. "If I go now, he'll suspect that you saw me right after he left." She slid down the front of him and began to unfasten his jeans. "We can't have that now, can we?"

oooOOOooo

The bar was crowed tonight. Bodies overflowed from the main bar to the tables and booths across the building. Barmaids pushed through seas of people to bring pitchers and drinks. A half-empty bottle of whiskey sat on the booth in the corner; its table covered in a row of shot glasses. A wicked grin crossed Zaeed's lips as he filled the row of shots between himself and Vido. It'd been an ugly week back on Morgan's farm, and this was just the thing he needed to calm his nerves. Hastily, he threw back a shot and wiped the back of his hand across his lips, removing any spare droplets. Exasperated, he rolled his eyes and looked over at Vido. "Man, I've got to get off this rock. That bitch is going to be the death of me yet!"

Vido's eyes widened as he snatched a shot from the table and downed it. "What the hell are you talking about? You've been fucking Alice Morgan, the hottest broad on Annwn, for over a year now."

He shook his head adamantly. "There's a reason that broad is so hot and ain't married at age twenty…She's fuckin' crazy!"

Amused, Vido looked at Zaeed and laughed. "Ha! I'm surprised you stuck with her this long. I was beginning to think you loved her."

Zaeed threw his head back in a bark of laughter. "Vido, the day I fall in love with some fuckin' broad is the day the goddamn sun turns blue. No fuckin' way am I getting that attached to any bitch."

Vido smiled at his friend and held another shot up to him in agreement before downing it. "So tell me, how do you plan on breaking off your little thing with Alice? Keep in mind that no one knows about it and you'd like to keep your job with Old Man Morgan. You know as soon as you break the news to her; she's going to find something to tell her gramps about you."

Zaeed flicked his hand, signaling for the bottle. Vido smirked as he handed it over. Zaeed refilled the shot glasses, threw one back, and shook his head before continuing. "Yeah, and I wouldn't be surprised if the bitch tells him I bloody attacked her." He looked over at his best friend and grinned. He'd spent a few days trying to figure out how to get out of here, and the only way he could really make it was if Vido agreed to go with him. He just had to convince him of that, too. His voice took on a more serious tone as he continued. "Look, I've been saving up everything the old man has been paying me. Alice thinks I'm saving up to buy her a giant rock; it ain't happening! There are too many hot women out there in the galaxy to settle down now, especially with that crazy bitch. Two more weeks, and I'm leaving this place. There's plenty of work out there across the Terminus Systems for men who are willing to do it." Zaeed grabbed the nearest barmaid as she walked by and pulled her into his lap. "Another bottle for me and my friend?" Her giggle turned to a squeal as he smacked her ass when she rose to leave. Vido shook his head and laughed as Zaeed shrugged his shoulders. "Seriously though, come with me, man. Between the two of us, we can get just about any job done that the galaxy can throw at us."

oooOOOooo

Her eyes glossed with tears as she ran her fingers through her hair. The girl was coming apart at the seams, and all over one thing. "What do you mean you're leaving? I thought we had something, Zaeed?"

He didn't even turn to look at her. Zaeed continued packing his tools from the work bench in front of him. "Alice, we ain't got nothin'. You were fun, but I'm heading out. Ain't nothin' for me here." He turned to leave the barn, but froze when she hastily grabbed his hand.

"You can't leave like this. You told me you loved me!" Alice clung so tightly that her nails were digging into the skin along his hand and wrist.

Disgusted, Zaeed looked over his shoulder at her. "Not once did I bloody tell you I loved you. Never told a soul that in my life and don't plan to_." She's fuckin' begging me to stay? Even if I did want to settle down with a woman, it wouldn't be with someone who'd beg._ "You're fuckin' beautiful, Alice. You can get any other man you want in your web." Zaeed pulled his hand free from Alice's grip and started walking toward the door of the barn.

Alice narrowed her eyes at Zaeed's retreating form. "Zaeed, if you leave me now, I'll have the whole damn colony after you."

Zaeed smiled as he paused at her threat. He knew what was coming, and had prepared for it. "How do you plan on doing that, love?" He smirked as he faced his exit. He could nearly feel the rage rolling off her body behind him.

"No one knows we've been together. All I have to do is tell my gramps that you bloody raped me, and that I'm pregnant with your child."

_You petty bitch…Too bad you're fucking predictable. A blind man would've seen this coming_. Zaeed turned to look at Alice. "You are not goddamn pregnant! Don't use that as a bloody excuse to try to keep me here. I saw the way you were downing drinks at Gerry's Pub last week, and telling Gramps I raped you ain't goin' to bloody work."

Alice's lips spread into a broad smirk as she looked at him. "And how do you know it's not going to work?"

"Because I've witnessed the whole goddamn thing, Alice Morgan."

Shock embedded itself in her eyes as Alice turned to see her grandfather standing in the shadows of the barn. "I didn't want to believe Massani when he told me he'd been fucking you for the past year. I couldn't believe you would stoop so low as to fuck a hired hand like a fuckin' whore." His lips tightened into a thin line. "Guess you get that from your mother." He paused briefly, but didn't acknowledge the horror on his granddaughter's face. "I told my son that she was worthless. Though I thought you being raised by your father, you would know better." Morgan walked up to Alice, eyeing her with disgust evident on his face. He sighed and closed his eyes. Zaeed could tell that he was just angry at his granddaughter; disappointed that she had stooped so low as to fuck an orphan from the poorer part of the colony. Morgan placed his hand under Alice's lowered head and lifted her chin to meet his eyes. "Lucky for us though, your reputation hasn't been ruined. Only three people know of you two, and two of them will be leaving Annwn soon."

Zaeed watched the exchange between them. "Alright, people, it's been fun. Alice, I had a great time with you while it lasted. Maybe if I ever stop by again I'll give you a call." He winked at her before turning to leave the barn; laughing to himself as he heard her shriek fill the barn.

oooOOOooo

Carrying two steaming cups of coffee, Vido headed back toward the booth in the shuttle pick-up area. Sliding in across from his partner, he pushed a cup across the table toward him. Blue eyes winked at him from across the table as the man grabbed the cup and pulled it closer. Vido took a drink and relaxed against his seat. He looked up at Zaeed, who was staring out the window beside them. "So, you really left her behind?"

Zaeed looked across the booth to Vido with a smile on his face. "What'd I bloody tell you?" He pointed to the sky. "I don't see a fucking blue sun, do you?" A large grin filled his face as he laughed. His eyes flicked toward the departure board as the time slots updated. The two of them were waiting on the arrival of their shuttle to take them off planet. Today had been an overall success. They were riding the high of having just completed their first mission, tracking down a gambler that owed money to a large casino owner in the Skyllian Verge.

Amused, Vido shook his head. "Okay, here's what I think." He leaned his head in closer and lowered his voice. "I say we go bigger."

His eyes sparked like blue fire as he leaned across the table toward Vido. "Bigger? Bigger how?"

Leaning back in his seat, Vido placed his hands behind his head and smiled at Zaeed. "Get some cliental. Establish a reputation of being efficient and discreet. We hire ourselves some more men and build the largest 'private security firm' in the galaxy."

Zaeed grinned at Vido and took a swig of his coffee. "You think we can handle all that? Hiring more men?"

Vido leaned in and placed his hands down on the table in front of him. Again, his voice took on a quieter, more intense tone. "If we can be more efficient than anyone else out there, people will be willing to pay for it. The more men we have, the more business we can take on. With you in the field and me handling the books, we got this in the bag."

Setting his now empty mug down on the table, Zaeed crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, especially since we learned that you can't handle a gun worth a shit." He snickered when Vido rolled his eyes. "What do we bloody call ourselves?"

Vido grinned as he leaned back in his seat. "I was thinking…The Blue Suns."

Zaeed's laugh echoed throughout the shuttle station. "Cheeky bastard, but it'll do."

oooOOOooo

"How much we got so far?" Vido glanced up at his partner's words. He'd been crunching the numbers for weeks now, but it still wasn't enough. They'd been taking odd jobs and traveling around the Terminus Systems for the better part of two years. They were looking to expand their organization. His eyes flicked around their seats within a grungy fuel depot bar. Hopefully all the Prothean relics they'd been picking up here recently would help generate the funds to make it happen.

"We should be good once we sell all this salvage we got off that science team." He nodded at the pleased expression on Zaeed's face. "Honestly, Omega seems like our best shot for now. It would give us the freedom to grow our operation without much interference, while providing a steady supply of new recruits. Although I think we may know a few private collectors that would love a chance to get their hands on some of this Prothean shit before we take off."

Zaeed shook his head at the mention of the ancient relics they had taken. "I'll never understand why people pay so goddamn much to have old pieces of junk lying around."

Vido laid his data pad down before looking at Zaeed. "You don't have to understand it. You just have to acquire and deliver it. If it weren't for these 'old pieces of junk' we wouldn't make enough to keep us going."

Zaeed nodded as he smiled at Vido. "Well then…I guess we're heading to Omega.

Vido smiled at his childhood friend across the table and raised his glass of whiskey up in a toast. "To the Blue Suns!"

Zaeed raised his own glass and downed it. He waved the Asari waitress in the skimpy leather lingerie over. Oi, keep 'em comin', love. Tonight we celebrate."

oooOOOooo

Zaeed woke up, in a cheap and dirty hotel room, naked next to an Asari and human female who had her arm draped over the Asari. Groaning at his massive headache, he tried to replay the events from the night before. After arriving at Omega, he and Vido had accumulated quite the little party in Afterlife; they signed up a few new recruits, too. However, things start to get a little fuzzy once the Asari climbed onto his lap and poured him another drink…something to do with roses. He shook his head to clear the fog as he made his way to the bathroom. Yawning, he leaned against the wall behind the toilet to take a piss. _Where the fuck did I leave my clothes?_ He closed his eyes as he tried to remember and grimaced when he heard someone pounding against another door.

"Zaeed, you in there? What the fuck are you doin'?"

_Goddamn, Vido! Can't I have just five minutes to take a bloody piss? _He rolled his eyes and opened the bathroom door. His fierce, blue gaze settled on the room's main door, behind which he knew Vido was waiting. He glanced at the bed, seeing his two bed mates look up at him. "Well don't jus' fuckin' lay there. Get the fuck out already!" _Goddamn hookers. _ He hastily threw on the boxers he'd discarded last night and opened the door. His lips formed a cocky smirk as he met Vido's eyes. "What'd you want?" The two women scrambled to make their way out of the room. Zaeed winked to Vido as he smacked the human on her ass when she tried to exit the room. Vido just shook his head. "Cocky son of a bitch...Get dressed." He winked. "We got a job."

oooOOOooo

Zaeed landed on the deserted planet and looked at a rundown shack in the distance. _Goddamn barren arse planet. Why do these sons of bitches always go to the same bloody places? Why can't I chase a job to a tropical planet with scantily clad women? _

Zaeed pulled out his M-8 Avenger and smiled. "Okay, Jessie. Let's you and I go 'ave a little fun." Calmly, he walked up to the shack. Once he reached the front window, he jerked back, pressing his back against the wall as bullets started flying past him. "Oi, why don't you quit shootin' at me? At least then I won't 'ave to kill ya."

From inside the small shack, a timid voice called out to him. "How do I know you aren't going to shoot me anyway?"

Zaeed paused at the sound of the voice and rolled his eyes at the lack of forethought from his target. _Why the hell do they always ask the same bloody questions, and what the fuck could a man with a voice like that possibly have done that my employer couldn't handle? _"Because I get paid more to bring your bloody arse in alive."

"Oh, well in that case, why don't I just roll over for you then? I'll just let you take me in alive to meet my certain death, so you get more creds for it…I don't fucking think so." An onslaught of bullets flew through the front of the tiny structure.

Zaeed used this distraction to creep around the back and look through the window into the one room shack. A green-tinted Salarian stood there with an assault rifle facing the front door. He looked around to see what all resources the Salarian had at his disposal. _Goddamn stupid to leave your back open like that. Looks like that is the only bloody weapon the son of a bitch has…along with that large supply of ammo in the corner. I don't have the goddamn patience to wait for him to use all of that. _Zaeed ducked down beneath the window and moved to the back door. Mustering every ounce of patience he had, Zaeed waited for a pause in the gun fire. Finally hearing his opening, he took a deep breath, turned, and kicked the rickety door in. Startled by the movement, the Salarian jumped. Earning Zaeed a moment's reprieve to rush the annoying mother fucker from behind before he could reload his rifle. The Salarian's eyes narrowed as he fired his last round at Zaeed. His shields absorbed most of the impact, but Z knew something was amiss when it hurt more than it should have. He grunted and hit the Salarian with the butt of Jessie.

"Fuck! Goddamn that hurts!" The bullet had gotten through a weak point in his armor. _Looks like I need to upgrade this piece of shit after all. Can't bloody afford to take this kind of hit repeatedly. _He kicked the Salarian before moving the gun away from his downed target and kneeled down to tie him up.

"Vido, the job's done. Bring in the shuttle."

Vido walked into the small one room shack and glanced at the body of the Salarian on the floor. He raised an eyebrow questioningly at Zaeed. "Did you kill him?"

Zaeed scoffed at his friend's lack of confidence. "No, I didn't bloody kill the bastard…Although I ought to 'ave; the bastard shot me." He held up his rifle for Vido to see. "I knocked the son of a bitch out with Jessie, here. She never lets me down."

Vido snorted and shook his head. "Whatever, Z. Just get it loaded up so we can get paid."

oooOOOooo

Zaeed threw down the manifest he'd been handed. His eyes nearly swam red from a mixture of anger and disappointment. "Kids, Veto? You want to transport kids?" Zaeed could hear his voice rising to a yell, but didn't bother to control himself. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Not only do you want us to transport them, but you want me to kidnap and sell them? I'll do some pretty bad shit, Vido, but not to kids. This isn't what we agreed to come out here to do."

Vido looked up from his makeshift desk; his eyes darkened slightly from irritation. This job had taken them months to line up and would pay better than most. Frustrated, he wiped his hand down along his face before speaking. "Why does it matter? A job is a job, Z! Just think of them as cargo, nothing more. I've hired new men who can take care of it, so you don't have to get your 'hands dirty' on this one." He was trying to compromise, but had to think of the future of the organization. They'd worked so hard on furthering the Blue Suns. Unfortunately, now it seemed like Zaeed had developed a new set of morals that could be problematic for them. _I've gotta make this stubborn bastard see this is the best option._ "You should see what they're paying us." He pointed to the obscene figure on his omni-tool. "Look at that; it's over half of what we've made in the past five years alone."

"You're not listening to me, Vido! You hired goddamn Batarians!" Zaeed's voice bellowed as he slammed his hands down on the table in front of him. He raised his head, meeting Vido's eyes with his own. He could see his own look of disgust reflected there. "You want to hire goddamn Batarians? Are you out of your bloody mind?" He pushed back from the table before pacing up and down the room. His low, perturbed mumbles came out as a frustrated growl.

Vido glared at him, annoyance radiating out of his features. "They're cheaper labor opportunities, Zaeed."

Scowling, Zaeed stopped in front of Vido and threw his hands up animatedly. "They're goddamn terrorists…slavers. No way can you trust 'em. They'll shoot you in the back the first chance they get. I won't have the Blue Suns turn out to be slavers and kidnappers!" He turned to exit, but paused when he felt Vido's hand wrap around his wrist.

His brown eyes flicked back and forth between Z's, looking for some sign that he was willing to reason with him. "Zaeed, just calm down and listen to me."

He shook off Vido's hand and glared heatedly at him. "Just leave me the fuck along, Vido. You want me to calm down? Then let me go blow some shit up. I'll talk to you later, but know this…I'm still not bloody ok with Batarians and kidnapping kids…and doubt I ever will be." Storming out of the room, he grabbed his gun from his weapons locker and headed outside for some target practice.

Vido watched Zaeed leave and shook his head; he had been expecting something like this. His fingers flitted over his omni-tool, pulling up his most recent contact. "Tarak, Zaeed is a no go. Get me a team of men. I need to have a little chat with them." Vido smiled vindictively as he closed down his omni tool.

oooOOOooo

Walking up to his apartment, Zaeed's eyes narrowed as he realized his door was unlocked. Pulling out his gun, he cautiously pushed open the door, revealing Vido leaned against his sofa. "Vido, what the hell are you doin' here?" He smiled at his friend and as a sign of trust, let his guard down and holstered his gun.

Vido's cold eyes just stared at him. "We need to talk."

"About what?" A sudden crack to the back of his skull ended the conversation as Zaeed dropped to the floor, unconscious.

oooOOOooo

A sharp ache in his neck snapped Zaeed back to consciousness. His knees ached from being seated upon them for an unspecified amount of time. He licked his lips, tasting iron from the dried blood along his lip. A slight breeze from a door opening made him aware of the sticky sensation of drying blood along his neck and face. His eyes fluttered open, blinking harshly at the onslaught of light. Looking to his left, he saw he was being held by men…his own men! Vido Santiago stood in their center, with a smirk plastered across his face. "What in the bloody hell are you doin', Vido?"

Holding out his hands in the form of a truce, Vido slowly approached him. "You know we need the Batarians, Zaeed. Think of the possibilities! They've offered to help us expand the Blue Suns."

Zaeed scoffed and struggled, forcing even more of his men to help restrain him. "By taking contracts to steal and transport kids? That's not fucking expanding; that's goddamn slavery. They're bloody kids, Vido!"

Dropping his hands to his side, Vido pulled out his pistol and shook his head. A cruel smirk formed along his lips as his eyes met Zaeed's. "The Batarians had nothing to do with that contract. I'm sorry, Zaeed…I didn't want to have to do this…but you aren't thinking with the interest of the Blue Suns. You're thinking about yourself." He smiled as he pointed his gun at Zaeed's head.

Zaeed roared as rage built up inside him from the betrayal of his childhood friend. "You goddamn, son of a bitch! I'll kill you if it's the last thing I fuckin' do!"

Vido's smile was bittersweet as he pulled the trigger...killing his best friend.

oooOOOooo

"We have a pulse…It's a faint one, but it's there!"

_Who in the bloody hell is yelling? _Zaeed woke up with a pounding in his head. He squeezed his eyes closed even tighter as he groaned. _What the fuck did I do last night?…__**VIDO**__! _

Adrenaline filled his veins as his rage took over, causing the machine to his left to start beeping uncontrollably. A nurse and doctor hurried into the room to check on him. "Please, Mr. Massani. You have to calm down."

Zaeed's left eye nearly saw red as he opened it to glare at them. _Why the bloody hell won't my right eye open? _It was a fleeting thought as he felt hands on his shoulders, pushing him back down to the bed.

The nurse stood close to his left side and smiled sadly at him. "Please, sir. We're just trying to help."

He stared into her eyes for a moment, trying to remember the last time he'd seen someone look so torn. _The doctor with Ma just before she died…Am I going to die? I can't bloody die! Goddamn it, Vido! _Refueled with an itch to scratch, he shook his head at her. "Lady, I've got no problem with you; just let me get the fuck out of here." He shifted to turn his head toward the doctor on his right. "Where the hell is he? I'm going to fucking kill the bastard!" As he met the doctor's eyes, Zaeed felt a prick in his neck from where his Blue Suns tattoo was, and then everything went dark.

The doctor frowned momentarily before looking across his patient's limp body to the nurse. "We should probably keep him sedated until he is well enough to take care of himself and leave. I don't want him harming anyone."

The nurse looked down at Zaeed's face, still upset even in his unconscious state. Her brow crinkled as she frowned and nodded in acknowledgement. "Understood, Doctor.


	3. Chapter 3

Lilith shivered as she sat on the bench, looking out into the park. She looked down at herself as her stomach rumbled at her; she hadn't eaten since she left the orphanage a couple days ago. Every time she thought about going back, she reminded herself of Britnee and how she had hurt her. Nothing strengthened her resolve quite so much as the image of Britnee, covered in bandages, lying in bed. With a heavy heart, she laid down on the cold surface of the bench and sighed. Her breath came out in a small vaporous cloud. Wind rustled leaves in the trees nearby, causing goose bumps to rise along her arms. Lili turned on her side, tucking her knees close against her abdomen in an effort to keep warm. She had tried to go to the homeless shelter in town, but that had been a dead end. Since she was just a kid and had no parents, they only wanted to take her back to the orphanage. _I guess this is a good enough spot to spend the night. It's colder tonight than it was the last few._ She frowned softly. At least the bridge had offered some sort of shelter._ Damn that old man for his feigned kindness. I may be desperate, but I'm not that desperate._ Closing her eyes, she thought back to the night before and the warmth of the fire in the barrel.

_Light from the burning trash barrel had caught her eyes from far away. Gingery, she crept up to the bright spot, hoping no one would mind if she stopped momentarily to warm herself. "Nice isn't it?"_

_Lilith startled, jumping back at the sudden intrusion into her thoughts. Her eyes flicked quickly around the lit area until they came to rest on a rough man with graying hair. He looked up at her and smiled. She grinned and nodded at him as she stepped further away from the fire, in hopes of leaving. The others she had come across so far had pushed her away; they refused to share their warmth and shelter with her, and she had nothing to offer them. _

"_Where you going, kid? It's cold out there." The old man nodded his head toward the barrel. Lilith smiled as she stepped back up and held her hands out to the flame. "You got a name, small fry?"_

_She nodded her head and flashed a small smile at the generous man. "Lilith Shepard."_

_The old man seemed to be lost in thought as he pulled a stick off of the barrel and handed it to Lilith. "Here, Lilith. You're probably hungry."_

_She took the stick and eyed the odd piece of meat on the end of it before taking a bite. "What is it?" She really didn't care at this point; she was starving. It had a tangy taste, and made her stomach turn._

_The old man laughed at her expression. "What? You ain't ever had rat before?" Lilith shook her head, but continued chewing. It felt good to finally put food in her belly again. She yawned loudly as she lay down next to the fire. "Hey? What do you think you are doin' there?" Lilith looked up startled, unsure of how to interpret the look of disapproval on the man's face. "You ain't going to sleep well there at all." He pulled out an old moldy mattress big enough for one person, out from behind some crates. "Here, got to keep it hidden or they'll steal it." Lilith smiled as she lay in the center of the mattress and fell asleep._

_She woke up the next morning without her jacket on and the old man lying next to her on the small mattress, slowly rubbing circles on her stomach under her shirt. Jumping up she quickly grabbed her jacket and pulled it back on. The old man sat up and smiled at her. "You aren't leaving already are you…after all my hospitality last night?" He patted the bed for her to lie back down, like it was an order. "I believe you owe me for the rat and the warm bed."_

_Lilith narrowed her eyes at the man. She was only be thirteen, but she'd be damned if some old perverted man was going to take advantage of her. "I don't think so, mister. I'm not that kind of girl, and I didn't need your kindness that much." _

_She turned to walk away, only to have him jump off the mattress dressed in nothing but his shorts. The persistent stranger grabbed her by the shoulders with an evil smile on his face. "You're going to give me what I want, Lilith Shepard." Lilith panicked as the man's fingers dug tightly into her shoulders. He shoved her against the stone wall under the bridge hastily and began to rip her jacket back off of her now shaking form. Her body started glowing blue from adrenaline, causing the man to step back. "What the hell? You didn't say you were a biotic, you little bitch!"_

_Lilith narrowed her eyes as she placed her hands against his chest. "You didn't ask." Throwing out a biotic push, he flew into the barrel with fire still burning in it. Smirking all the while, she walked up to his squirming body and pulled him away from the flames. His eyes widened fearfully as she winked and dusted her hands off. "Thank you and you're welcome. Consider your life my payment."_

"Hey, kid! Come here." Lilith snapped out of her memory at the sound. Her eyes wearily roamed the area, looking for the speaker.

"Yo, Red. You gonna stay out there all night?" The voice came again. Confused, Lilith looked behind her and saw a boy with platinum blonde hair standing in the door way of a rundown building. His arms crossed against his chest, making him look bulkier than reality. Beside him stood a second figure, a teenage girl, who was walking over to her. Kneeling down in front of her, the girl looked into Lilith's bright green eyes. "Are you hungry? We've got some extra food if you want."

Lilith looked at the girl cautiously. Her recent experience with strangers had her on edge. This girl was probably around the age of 17, with blonde ponytail and blue eyes. _She can't possibly be that big of a threat. I just took down a grown man._ "What do you want in return?"

The girl looked at Lilith knowingly and smiled. "We want nothing in return…except autonomy; don't mention you saw us when and if you go out on your own."

Lilith looked back and forth between the blonde boy behind her the girl in front of her. _They only want to protect themselves like me. At least they're not looking for what that creepy guy was earlier._ She shivered, partially from both the cold and memory. "Why would you share your food with me? You don't even know me."

"You're right; we don't. However, we've seen you out here all day. We both know what it's like to be hungry and have nowhere to sleep." The girl extended her hand out toward Lili. "Come on. My name is Sarah. I'll introduce you to everyone." Tentatively, Lilith walked behind Sarah into the rundown building they were calling home. As they passed the boy, she noticed he looked a lot like Sarah. Before she could ask, Sarah filled in the blanks. "That's my baby brother, Sam." Lilith raised an eyebrow at him curiously.

"Geez, Sarah! You always gotta call me that?"

Sarah smirked, but kept walking through the building, with Lilith on directly her heels. "That's Jessie, Campbell, and Roxie in that corner over there." She pointed out each person as she named the kids in the corner watching television. "Mel, Liz, Todd, and Grayson are over there." She named the four people in the corner playing cards. She led Lilith over to the kitchen. Sarah hastily filled a bowl before handing her some bread and soup. "Here's you some food. I know it's not the exactly best, but I figure it the best thing you've had for a couple days."

Sam walked behind them, listening intently as Sarah had named off people and gave the girl food. He shook his head in frustration. "You think Rod is going to like you giving all our names, locations and food to a girl we don't even know? What if this turns out to be some kinda trap to set us up? Did you even think about that?"

Sarah groaned at Sam's distrust. "Look at her, Sam; she's tired and worn out. We've been watching her all day. Nobody paid her any attention except to look at her with disgust. I know you haven't forgotten how that feels. He did it for us, so I don't see why he wouldn't do it for her."

Sam sighed before shaking his head again. "You got a name, Red?"

Defiantly, Lilith straightened herself, looking eye to eye with the young man; confidence bleed forth from her every pore. "Yeah. I'm Lilith…Lilith Shepard." She nodded toward Sarah. "You can call me Lili."

Sarah smiled at her forth coming. "I think you'll fit in just fine here, Lili. We'll take you to meet Rod tomorrow. Until then, I'll set you up a pallet to sleep for the night."

oooOOOooo

"Welcome to the Tenth Street Reds, Lili." Rod smiled at her as she completed her initiation. His eyes glanced over the gang tattoo she had just gotten emblazoned on her skin. He knew the moment Sarah and Sam brought her to him, just over a year ago, that she would do great things for them. Although she wasn't that good at infiltration, her beauty provided an excellent distraction. She could handle her own in a fight; didn't even need much training and her biotics were great, even if they were slightly unstable. "Are you ready to celebrate?" He pulled out a couple of bottles of Four Roses whiskey that he'd sent Sam and Sarah to procure earlier that morning for Lili's initiation party.

Her skin stung mildly from the new tattoo, but Sarah had assured her it would heal soon due to her biotics. Lili eyed it in the mirror. The complexities of the design wove from her shoulder down her abdomen. Rod said they could always add to it later. Her eyes brightened at the choice of flowers. _Lilies..._Lifting her head, she eyed Rod in the mirror from where he stood behind her. "Definitely."

Rod grinned and handed her a shot glass of Four Roses. "Bottom's up." Lili clinked her glass against his before downing the amber liquid. It burned mildly going down and settled in a warm pool in her belly. She grinned as she looked around the room. Music began pouring through the speakers as her new family poured drinks for themselves and began to move to the music. Her skin tingled at her hip as she felt Sarah spin her around to dance. Sarah nearly molded her form against Lili's as they faced one another. She winked readily and nodded at Rod's raised eyebrow behind them. Lili glanced over her shoulder, blushing slightly as she felt Rod come up behind her. The trio moved as one for multiple songs, simply allowing the music to wash over them.

Needing a bit of fresh air, Lili stepped aside with Sarah when Sam approached them. "Tired, Lili?" His eyes shown like fire and energy seemed to roll off his body.

She inclined her head slightly to the right. "No, just winded. You ok?"

Sam grinned so wide, she thought his face would crack. "Better than that. Gotta go; Mary's waitin' on me." He winked before bolting off toward the young woman across the room. Sarah and Lili looked at each other in mild confusion before erupting into laugher. It may have taken awhile, but Lili felt like she was finally among friends again.

oooOOOooo

Rod glanced across the room and smiled when he saw Lili sitting with Sarah and Sam. "Lili, I've got a special job for you." Her green eyes flashed excited when she smiled at him. Her curly hair bounced as she made her way over to him. He smiled at the way her body moved as she gracefully crossed the room toward him. _Oh the things I would like to do with you._

"Yeah, whatcha got for me, Rod?"

"There's a warehouse across town, and I want to know what's in it. If you think it's valuable, bring some back. If not, get rid of it. I don't want anyone else in my town with getting ahead of me." She raised an eyebrow questioningly, but nodded. "I want you to take Mary with you; teach her the ropes. If you get caught, just use your uncanny way of getting whatever you want…got it, love?"

A smirk worked its way across her lips as she winked at him. "No prob. I'll be back before you know it." Spinning nearly in place, she headed off to her room in order to grab her gear and anything else she might need.

oooOOOooo

Creeping around the side of the warehouse with Mary, one of their younger members, Lili cautiously looked over the edge of the window. No one was in the immediate area due to it being the early hours of morning, so she sidled around to the front of the building and hacked the lock. Turning to look at her companion, she whispered, "Stay here and watch my back." Before Mary had a chance to respond, Lili was gone. Quietly, she crept into the shadows of the warehouse. Large groups of barrels were laid throughout the room. Curious, she lifted up one of the lids revealed a dark liquid of some kind. _What the hell is that? Maybe I should take some to Rod, so he can take a look at it._ She pulled an empty vial from the satchel strapped to her side and dipped into the barrel.

Approaching footsteps alerted her to the fact that she wasn't alone. Quickly, she glanced around before ducking behind the barrels. Internally, she cursed for not having the time to put the lid back on the barrel before light flooded through a side door to the room. She slid further back into shadows, pressing her back against the nearest wall. A low growl caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand up on end.

"Who's there?" She was fighting hard to keep her biotics under control when a second voice came through.

"Jeff, what is it?"

"Not sure, Lenny, but one of these barrels has the lid off. I think someone's down here." She could hear him getting closer to her hiding spot with each passing step. _I've just gotta keep calm until they pass. I've got to slow my breathing and…what the hell?_ A dull blue glow had begun to emit from her hands. Quickly, she stuck her hands in her pocket in an effort to try and dampen the glow. _Why are they glowing so badly? I've been in worse jams than this before without having this happen._

Outside of the warehouse, Mary knew Lili was in trouble, but was unsure of how to help her. There was no way she could take on two adult men by herself, so she called Rod to tell him Lili was in trouble. She signed in relief as his voice came back over the line. "Stay put, Mary. We're on our way."

Lili felt hands in her hair as one of the men snuck up and grabbed her from the left. "What do you think you're doing down here, Lass? Who sent you?" She smiled and released control of her biotics, shoving the man forward. His momentum knocked over barrels of the strange liquid, splashing copious amounts onto her. The man quickly got back up and smiled as his associate grabbed her from behind, looking down at her well-developed figure and low cut top. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? Aren't you a pretty little thing? Feisty, too…I like mine feisty. Think maybe we could have some fun with her before we kill her?" He readjusted his hold on her to feel up her breasts before smiling at his companion. "Heh, young and firm, just the way you like 'em, Lenny."

Strengthening her resolve to not be manhandled, Lili summoned all the energy within her and let it go. The effect was chaotic and much larger than anything she had ever done before. Everything pushed out away from her, causing more of the unknown liquid to slosh onto on her and shattering nearby windows. She struggled for breath as exhaustion took its toll. While she collapsed into the puddle on the floor, alarms sounded in the distance. She knew she had to get out of there. Slowly, Lili began crawling out of the warehouse. Her sopping wet clothing, from the liquid in the barrels, weighed her down considerably. _I just need to make it to the alley before I pass out. I can at least tuck behind a dumpster or something_. _Hopefully, any passersby will think I'm just some homeless drunk and leave me alone. I can rest until I'm able to head back to Rod._ She groaned softly as her muscles tingled from the release. _I should be unconscious by now. How am I still functioning?_ The realization confused her, because she'd never let that out much raw power before. _And why the hell am I still glowing?_ She'd barely managed to make it to the front door before her body finally gave out, and she collapsed.

oooOOOooo

Rod, Sarah and Sam ran around the corner just in time to see the windows blow out of a building further down the street. An unsettling, blue glow was filling the openings created by the blast. "I take it that's where Lili is?" Sam barely choked out the words as his eyes widened.

The group cautiously made their way to the building. As they heard alarms, Rod cursed at their bad luck. "Fuck! Sam, go make sure Lili is okay. Sarah, find Mary. I'll make sure none of what's left is valuable." Rod hurried in through a side door in the alley. He turned, noticing the wake of destruction radiating out from a line of shattered windows. _What the fuck happened here? This was an easy "in and out" job. She should've been back by…_Sam's crackling voice brought his thoughts to a sudden stop.

"Rod, you might want to come check this out…I found Lili." Frightened, Sam stood next to Lili's prone form by the front door. Her body was drenched and there was dark energy radiating around her.

Rod saw the dark liquid Lili was laying in. "Eezo." He bent down and picked up Lili, carrying her in a bridal style. Hearing approaching footsteps, he looked up to see two familiar faces rushing toward them. "Good, Sarah! You found Mary. At least this mission wasn't a total loss" The young woman nodded in reply as she approached with Mary in tow. "You three hurry home. I'll be back there as soon as we can. I want to take Lili over to Doc to get checked out first."

oooOOooo

Stretching out her arms, Lili woke in a soft, warm bed, immediately knowing it wasn't hers. Startled by this realization, she opened her eyes to find Rod asleep in a chair at her bedside. Smiling, she reached out to touch his hand. _Gods he's hot! _

He opened his eyes and let loose a yawn. "You're finally awake."

Her eyes widened in concern. "Finally? How long was I out?" Her eyes flitted around the room, taking in their surroundings. "Whe-where am I? Honestly, Rod, I don't know what was in those barrels. All I could see was some kind of dark liquid in 'em. Then I got caught and my biotics flared out of control and I'm sorry, I..."

He smiled warmly at her barrage of questions. "Whoa, hang on. First of all, you've been out for about a week, and you don't need to worry. You're safe here in my room." He gently brushed some stray curls away from her forehead. "I wanted to be able to keep an eye on you, and it's kind of hard to do when you share a room with two other girls."

"Your room, huh? You sure that's the only reason I'm in here?" Lili asked with a seductive smirk.

He chuckled lightly as he continued. "Second, it was eezo in those barrels. That's why you couldn't control your biotics. You aren't exactly refined in that area to begin with, and you were exposed to a lot of it. We should probably look into getting you fitted with the new L3 implants. Doc says they're supposed to help you better handle that kind of power." Her eyes widened fearfully. "Don't worry; Doc's a friend…someone I knew I could trust. He said you're probably going to have some side effects of being directly exposed to the eezo; most likely your biotics will be stronger. He's been coming by every day to check on you and make sure you don't have any serious side effects."

Her features relaxed as she absorbed his words. "So I'm good to go, right?"

He grinned as one some of her strawberry locks slid down, covering one eye. With a sly smile, he replied, "In such a hurry to get away from me are you? Even after all I've done for you this week?" He gently moved the lock of strawberry blonde hair, tucking it behind her ear. "Seriously, Lili. I thought we were going to lose you. You are too important."

Lili's breath caught in her throat as his head lowered down to her level. "Important to whom?"

"I'll let you figure that out on your own." His lips were soft when they met her own, much like the pillows her head lay on. Her heart began to race when his tongue sought entrance to her mouth. She complied with a soft moan.

"Am I interrupting? I see our patient is awake."

Groaning in frustration, Rod looked at Lili apologetically. "Lili, this is Doc. He's the one who's been checking on you."

Heat crept up her neck and face in embarrassment, flushing her pale skin a deep pink. "Uhm…Thanks for looking after me."

"What? No, no, no Rod here did that. All I did was answer a few questions and take daily vitals. You look to be in good health considering your massive exposure to eezo."

Both Rod and Doc looked at her incredulously when they heard her stomach growling at them. The heat once again reached her neck and face. "Sorry…Guess I'm a little hungry."

Doc's laughter filled the room. "HA! Don't worry, Lili. That's one of the side effects that we were expecting. Your enhanced biotics will burn through your calories much faster, so you'll need to eat quite a bit more to keep up your energy. You may want to carry around a few of these." He tossed Lili a protein bars. She half smiled as it landed on her bed.

"Yeah…Maybe I oughta do that."

oooOOOooo

Lili grinned wickedly as she stopped on the side of the street, resting her bike between her muscular thighs. She pulled off her helmet, letting her strawberry curls cascade down her back. A group of nearby men cat called crudely at her. _Oh this is gonna be too easy._ She turned her head, pouting in their direction. "I think I'm lost boys. You mind helping a girl out and giving her some direction?"

The group of men walked up to Lili, who remained seated on her bike. She watched on, amused, as all four of them raked her over with a feral look in their eyes. "We'd be more than happy to give you directions, wouldn't we boys?"

Lili nodded at their enthusiastic response to help her. _That's right, assholes. Just keep staring at me. _She grinned plastically as she saw Sarah and Sam creep into the building behind the men…the very one they were supposed to be guarding. She batted her eyelashes playfully. "Well then, I'm looking for the business district." She pulled out a map and laid it on the tank in front of her, pointing her finger down a highway. "Okay, this is the route I thought I was supposed to take." She trailed her finger down the map, closer to her core and watched how all three men eyed her hungrily. She smiled as they looked up into her eyes and realized they had been caught staring at her that is except for the largest man. _Perfect, you're my target. I'll leave the weaker two for Sarah and Sam to handle._

"No, no, no. This is the route you should go." Moving around the bike, the largest man came to stand beside Lili, with his the front, left side of his body flush against the back of her right side that hung over her bike. He trailed his finger down the side of the map, deliberately rubbing up against her thigh and trailing it down to where the business district was, close to her center.

She closed her eyes and softly whimpered to where only he could hear her. Her brilliant emeralds opened to see a cocky smirk on his face. "Are you sure this is the best way to go? There are so many turns. I don't know if I'll be able to remember which way to go." She glanced up and looked past the other men standing there to see Sam at the window of the building waving her on. She smirked as she looked back at him. "Why don't you show me the way?"

The man looked at her questioningly before turning to look at his three companions who were grinning at him.

She ran her hand up his arm lightly, smiling at him seductively as she leaned in and whispered into his ear. "Come on, baby. I'm sure your men can handle whatever it is you are doing." She patted the seat behind her, signaling him to climb on.

The man kicked her kickstand down in one fluid motion before picking her up and moving her back. "I ain't letting you drive if you don't know where you're going."

She grinned broadly as she slid back and let the big man on her bike, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and firmly pressing her chest against his back.

Further down the road, the big man turned the bike down an alley way Lili had directed him to and came to a halt. She leaned ever closer to him and whispered into his ear, her lips brushing against it. "There's something I need to take care of first, babe."

"Yeah, and what might that be?"

She climbed off the bike and stretched her lean voluptuous body, pushing her breasts out for his benefit. Her thin, white tank rode up along her stomach, giving him a glimpse of the lattice work tattoo running across it. Lili smiled to herself as she heard his breath hitch in his throat.

He kicked the stand down on the bike once again as he stood and dismounted to move toward Lili. She smiled as he made his way to her. A feral glimmer shone in his eyes, promising a good time. She casually backed further into the alley as she let him grab her. His large palms immediately went for her chest as he roughly pressed his mouth to hers. _Really? Why is it that is the first place they go?_ She sighed as his hands began roaming further down her body, toward her belt. _Oh, hell no! I'm having none of that!_

She shoved him back, using a little of her biotics to push his heavy form away. A tantalizing smirk filled her lips as she walked up to him. _Awl, honey. You look confused. Here, let me clear that up for you._ She pulled back and punched him in the face, causing him to stagger.

Growling, he stood up to his full height and swung wildly at Lili. She ducked under his arm before sending another punch into his gut.

He laughed as her hand collided with the solid muscle of his stomach. He grabbed her hair and sent her down face first into the concrete, busting her nose. She growled as he pulled her up from the ground by her hair. His breath reeked as he curled around her neck toward her face. His words alone told her that he had seen the mark behind her ear. "I should have known you'd be with those goddamn Reds." He grinned as he turned her to face him, hands still clutched in her hair. He bent down to whisper gruffly into her ear. "I still want to have my way with you though before I put you down."

Lili's hands began to glow blue as he was leaned down to her level. "Not on your life, buddy!" She threw him hard across the alley. His body hit the wall with a sickening thud before sliding down into a broken, unconscious pool on the ground. Attempting to cover her tracks, she pulled a knife from her boot and slit his wrists. Hastily, she wiped the handle of her knife off before placing it in his hand to put his finger prints on it.

She smiled as she climbed back on her bike and retreated from the alley. _Better take the long way back to Rod's. Don't need any followers when I report in._

oooOOOooo

"Lili, you are one amazing woman. The look in your eyes when you have a target in mind is scary. I'd never want to be on the other side of that, babe. The way you move when you fight is like watching you dance. It's fuckin' sexy!"

She rolled over onto her side, allowing the sheet to fall down to her waist. In its wake, it revealed her ivory breasts and the intricate ink that he placed both there and on her waist. Lilith winked at Rod as a smirk graced her lips. "Ah, so that's why you always jump me after you see me fight." She chuckled smoothly. "You know, my birthday is in two weeks…and I think I've been a pretty good girl this year. What are you going to do for me?" She winked seductively as she rubbed her hand down the side of her chest and over her stomach, going under the sheet.

Growling, Rod flipped her over and settled her on top of him. "You are insatiable."

oooOOOooo

Lili's eyelids felt heavy as she lay next to Rod. The smoke from his cigarettes filled the air; he always smoked after they had sex. She could feel exhaustion taking its toll on her as she drifted closer toward sleep. There was a knock on the door, but Lili didn't even register in as she yawned. "Boss, there's something you need to see." The unwanted guest walked to their terminal, punching a few buttons and making a large screen appear in front of them. Lili rolled over, clutching the sheet to her chest as she sat up.

"_Police are still trying to piece together the strange explosion that took place this evening in the warehouse district. Experts say that it seems like a crude, but effective home assembly. The warehouse is said to be where one of Vancouver's illustrious gangs has been operating as of late. Police have reason to suspect a death in an alley across town may be related, as the victim is said to have association with said gang. Casualties of the bombing include five year-old Ronnie Wilson and his twenty-six year-old mother, Rebecca Wilson. Four bodies, found near the warehouse, have yet to be identified. Another was taken to Vancouver Hospital. If you have any further information regarding these events, please contact your local police department. This is Teri Summers with Vancouver News Network."_

Lili's eyes widened as a cold sweat broke out along her skin. _That is the warehouse I was at this evening…the one Sam and Sarah had snuck into._

"Why did you interrupt us for this?"

Lili whipped her head around toward Rod. She was appalled at what he was saying. "Rod, that is the warehouse you sent us to earlier!" She watched as he put out his cigarette butt in the tray next to the bed before turning and looking at her. His demeanor seemed casual in contrast to her frantic state.

"I know. Looks like Sarah and Sam finished their part of the plan. Now to just make sure the leaders of their pathetic little gang don't get any ideas about my area. A few more threats to their families should do it."

Lili's eyes widened and her nostrils flared. _To their families? He'd threaten innocent people to get what he wants? _"Rod, you can't do that. Those people probably don't even know what is going on. Some of those people who died were innocent bystanders! They had nothing to do with it."

The man who had informed them of the situation cleared his throat, bringing attention back to him. "We believe the woman taken to the hospital is one of ours, Sarah. Our contact at the hospital says she'll recover. The police are going to be asking her questions."

Rod starred off at nothing as he put his fingers up to his mouth thinking. "Yes, and with the drugs they have her on she'll likely forget she's supposed to keep quiet." He looked back at the man and waved his hand off, dismissing him as he gave one last order. "Take care of her; she won't be any good to us anymore once she recovers anyway."

Lili stared at Rod, anger written all over her face. "That's it? After everything she's done for you, you're just going to kill her?"

He smiled in agreement. "Lili, you've been around for going on four years now. You know how the system works."

A forlorn, yet bitter look came into her eyes. "You ever wonder what it would be like if we had a different life? You know, one without all the fighting?"

He laughed, trying unsuccessfully to lighten her mood. "What? I thought you enjoyed fighting, baby."

Lili sighed and stared off in front of her. "But it doesn't mean anything. I mean, what if I never left the orphanage? What would I be doing right now at this moment? It definitely wouldn't be sitting here fighting with you over killing a friend and innocent bystanders." She frowned, realizing how this must sound to him. "You know what, never mind." Reaching down, she grabbed her jeans and sweat shirt off the floor.

"Lili, what brought this on? Where are you going?" He stood up and grabbed her arm as she headed toward the door. "Baby, you know your life means something. You mean something to me."

"I'm going to take a walk to clear my head. Don't worry about it…I'll be fine." She smiled slightly, trying to collect herself and redirect. Placing a light kiss on his lips, she pulled back in time to see him relax. "I'll be back later, so don't wait up." She turned and walked out of their room, leaving him standing in the doorway naked.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Sorry for the long break…life attacks and my amazing Beta**_**, **_**Rebornhoneybee, figured you guys didn't like commas as much as me so she had to do her thing. Bioware owns all familiar characters. **___

Lili sat on a bench in the park overlooking a small pond. This was the exact spot Sarah and Sam found her almost five years ago. She let out a sigh as she lifted her eyes and looked up at the stars. A soft chuckle escaped her lips as a faint memory of who she assumed was her mother showing her the stars came to mind. Her voice dropped to a whisper as she tried to tug the memory forward. "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might…have the wish I wish tonight." She closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of the city. A single tear slid along her right cheek as she exhaled quietly. _I just want to find my purpose. I don't belong here. There is nothing for me in this place. _Opening her eyes, she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, before looking back up at the sky. "Gods, please…grant me this one plea…I need guidance. I know I'm meant for something more. I can feel it in my deep in my soul." Lowering her eyes, she looked out across the pond and saw a young couple walking hand in hand. She sighed and dropped her forehead down to her knees. "Just point me in the right direction, and I'll take it."

Silence fell as she sat there, head resting against her knees. The wind blew across her face, bringing with it the faint smell of flowers. She smiled and closed her eyes at its warmth; spring was finally here. Her thoughts drifted back to the warm spring night that changed her life…when she'd first discovered her biotics. Her arms tightened around her knees as tears began to run freely down her face. _Gods, I wish she was here now. She could always calm me down enough to see what was right in front of me._

"Ma'am, are you alright?"

Startled, Lili jumped up and hastily wiped her hand across her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine…" She looked up at the girl in front of her and froze. The face was so familiar and warm, yet the girl in front of her was a stranger. Her eyes widened as she took in the girl's black hair and caramel skin.

"Oh my gosh! Lilith?" Britnee ran forward, enveloping Lili in a tight embrace. The young man who'd been holding Britnee's hand raised an eyebrow in surprise, but remained silent.

"Britnee?" Lili whispered into the woman's shoulder. Feeling Britnee nod, Lili nearly melted against her frame. Her sobs of relief fell against Britnee's shoulder. _The gods heard me…finally, I'm not alone._

Lili froze as she saw the young man watching them. A look of recognition crossed his lips as he smiled and casually approached them. He stuck his hand out to her and beamed a wide grin. "You must be Lilith Shepard. From the way Britnee talks about you, you'd think that you haven't been apart for all these years."

Britnee bowed her head in a moment of embarrassment. "Marcus…" She swatted at him playfully before she turned her attention to Lili. "Lilith, I would love to catch up, but we really have to get going. Marcus leaves for active duty tomorrow, so we have to be at the space port at 0600."

Lili nodded in understanding; her shoulders drooped just a little. _So much for that miraculous GPS from the gods._ "Yeah, it was good seeing you, Britnee. Take care." Disappointed, she turned away to head back to Rod's house. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the onslaught of nausea at the idea.

"Lilith, wait." Lili turned, surprised to see Britnee running up to her. "How about we get coffee tomorrow morning, at that little coffee shop down the street from here?"

Lili smiled at her brightly. "I'd love that."

Britnee grinned brightly and grabbed her for another quick hug before turning back toward Marcus. He smiled and nodded at Lili. "Good to finally meet you, Miss Shepard."

Lili couldn't help but grin as she made her way back to Rod's house. She glanced happily up at the stars. _Thank you!_

It was late when she made it home, and she knew she would wake him by crawling into bed. _Bastard would probably turn off my alarm when it woke him in the morning, too. _Frowning, she curled up on the couch and set her alarm on her omni tool. This way, she wouldn't over sleep and miss her meeting with Britnee. _This may be my chance…I can't let anything get in my way._

oooOOOooo

She woke up to Rod standing over her, confusion blatantly written all over his face. "Why are you on the couch, Lili?"

Stretching, Lili smiled up at him. "I got in late; ran into an old friend at the park and got to talking. I didn't want to wake you, so I crashed on the couch."

Rod narrowed his eyes. Suspicious, he crossed his arms over his chest and pursed his lips before speaking. "Who'd you meet?" Emerald green eyes stared in disdain as she rose and turned to walk away. His voice rained down like acid across her from the accusing and commanding tone he attempted. "Where the hell do you think you're going? I'm talking to you!"

Lili glanced over her shoulder and smirked. _Bloody hell, ya asshole. I've got shit to do and it doesn't involve you._ "I have an appointment I need to keep…And why is it any of your godsdamn business who I met with?"

As she turned to leave once again, Rod grabbed her by her shoulder and spun her back toward him. "It matters to me, princess...especially if it can cause harm to the Reds."

Jerking her shoulder from his grasp, Lili whirled to face Rod head-on. Her eyes flashed blue as the dark energy she possessed flared. "I'm not a bloody princess, you selfish prick." She smirked as fear flickered through his eyes and Rod took a step back. Her eyes narrowed as she pointed her finger in his face. "That's all you care about isn't it? Power…how much you have, how much control you have over the city and the people who work under you." Her lips curled into a disdainful snarl. "I think you made it very clear last night exactly how much you care about us, Rod." She pointed at herself and gestured to the rest of the house. "I would never put any of the people in the Reds in danger, unlike you." Walking forward, she stepped until she was toe to toe with the sniveling man before her. Using a slight biotic lift, she rose until she was looking him square in the eye. "You're no leader…Leaders are out there on the streets, saving people from starvation and death. You're sending your own people to it." Her eyes narrowed. "You'll get what's coming to you. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow…but one day, you're going to wish you were half the man you think you are." Lowering herself softly to the floor, Lili turned and left the house. As she reached street level it finally hit her. _Fuck! I forgot to shower. This is gonna be a long day._

Lili lost herself in thought on the way to the coffee shop; her spirit filled equally with anger and a longing she couldn't quite put her finger on. She knew she needed to get out of this life, but didn't know where to begin. Britnee couldn't have popped back into her life at a better time. She really needed the emotional support right now.

_What if she's changed? Well of course she's changed…so have I. It's been over five years since we've last seen each other. What else could I expect? What if she disappointed in me? Is she still angry with me for leaving her? Why am I so nervous? Pull it together. I'm Lili Shepard, and I ain't scared of nothing!…Except maybe old best friends that meant the world to me. But…what if we ran into one another on purpose? Maybe she can help me with the emptiness inside._

Walking in the coffee shop Lili's eyes searched readily for her familiar face, black hair, and dark skin. She sighed disappointedly when her search came up empty. Puzzled, she ordered her mocha and sat in the corner booth. She always felt safer with her back to the wall like this; no one could creep up on her from behind. Lili inhaled deeply, enjoying the chocolate scent as she tried to relax her nerves, albeit her fingertips anxiously tapping on her cup gave her away. She gazed out the window, trying to appear lost in thought. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember the first time she met Britnee, but was coming up empty handed. She'd always been told they met soon after she was brought to the orphanage, and that before Britnee, Lilith hadn't let another soul touch her. She closed her eyes to try and picture her, but all she could see was the woman that starred in most of her dreams. Her wavy strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes flashed captivatingly as she stood next to a man with curly blond hair and vibrant green eyes. Their loving gazes were familiar, but only just. She opened her eyes and smiled as she took a sip of her mocha before glancing briefly out the window.

Britnee walked in the door of the coffee shop and looked around. Her eye settled to the strawberry blonde beauty sitting alone in the corner booth, staring out the window. She ordered her coffee and walked over to her. "Well at least this time, you have a smile on your face. Mind if I sit?"

Lili's eyes snapped forward to see a beautifully tanned woman standing in front of her. Long black hair just grazed along her shoulders and her warm chocolate brown eyes smiled down toward her. Speechless, Lili just stared. "That's what we came here for right?"

As Britnee took her seat opposite Lili, a sad look filled her eyes. "What's wrong, Lilith?"

Lili smiled, but it was bittersweet. "After five years, you still seem to be tuned into when there is something wrong with me."

Britnee frowned. "Okay, so can you at least tell me what happened?…Why you left?"

Lili looked at Britnee with tears in her eyes. "I hurt you, Britnee. I didn't mean to, but that doesn't matter, because it was my fault. I couldn't control myself, and I didn't want you or anyone else to get hurt again. What would have happened if it were one of the younger kids that had gotten thrown across the room?"

Moving over on the bench next to Lili, Britnee wrapped her arms around her. "I love you, Lilith. You are the sister I never had…the only family I ever had. I was hurt more when you left me intentionally than when you threw me accidentally." She smiled playfully. "Then they made me share a room with this annoying little brat of a child."

Lilith snorted at that. "I'm sorry, Britnee. I thought I was doing you a favor and protecting you. You know I love you, too. I don't remember my family, but you are always who I think of when someone else mentions theirs."

In trying to lighten the turn their conversation had taken, Britnee brought out a small box and smiled. "By the way I brought you something." Lili cautiously took the box from Britnee as she raised a brow in question. Britnee frowned, hoping she'd not been mistaken. "Did I get my dates wrong? Today is your birthday, right? You're eighteen now."

She smiled. "Yeah, it is." Opening the box revealed a gold chain with an oval shaped locket. Inside was a holo of the two of them, taken just a few days before Lili left. No longer able to hold the tears at bay, they began to fall from Lili's eyes. She enveloped Britnee in a tight embrace. "Thank you! You don't know what this means to me!"

Britnee hugged her back gently, "So now, why don't you tell me what you've been up to these past five years." Lili inhaled deeply before spilling her tail at breakneck speed.

Britnee's eyes widened as she realized the mess her friend had become entangled with. She swallowed harshly before speaking, and though she tried to still her voice, shock was still evident in it. "You joined a gang?"

Pulling her hair back, Lili showed her the Tenth Street Red tattoo that she'd gotten behind her ear on the day she was initiated. "The scary part is...I'm good at it…I mean naturally. No one had to train me. I can hold my own in a fight against men twice my size, and most times nobody fucks with me because of my biotics."

Frowning, Britnee looked her in the eye. "Tell me you're happy at least."

A soft sigh escaped her lips. Lili looked down to her lap and slowly shook her head, "No, I'm not. I feel as if my existence doesn't mean anything. I have no purpose. I want something to fight for; I want my life to have meaning. There is no way I can just sit on the side lines to be and do nothing forever."

A warm smile enveloped Britnee's face as she grabbed her hand. "Lilith, go by the Alliance office and ask for Admiral Kahoku. He came by the orphanage a few times after you left. He said something about checking on kids whose parents were killed in action. He even talked to a few of us about enlisting."

Lili looked at her friend like she had just lost her mind. "Really, Britnee? I'm a criminal. If the cops knew what I looked like, let alone my name, they'd arrest me on the spot."

Britnee shook her head throwing Lili off. "They aren't the cops, Lilith. They are the Alliance Military. They couldn't care less about your past, except that you are willing to change your path. Just think it over. If you can't speak to Kahoku, ask for Admiral Hackett. Tell him I sent you. That was his son you met last night." Britnee blushed a little at the admission. "Marcus Hackett and I have been dating for about six months now. He might at least be able to give you some insight on what you want. Obviously what you're doing now isn't where you're heart is." She smiled at her friend.

"I'll think about it, but I'm not making any promises."

"That's all I can ask, Lilith." Britnee glanced at her longtime friend before smiling slyly. "So…any other tattoos you're hiding from me?"

Finally relaxing, Lili let loose a laugh and grinned. "If only you knew…"

oooOOOooo

_Can the Alliance really help me? Would they even accept me? What would happen to all the kids in the Reds that look up to me? What would I do about Rod? They're all I've known for years…but I'd finally have a purpose. There'd be more in my life other than stealing and killing. _

Walking around for a good part of the afternoon had finally led her to a newer building on the nicer side of town. She glanced down at the address Britnee had hastily scribbled down on a napkin. _Yeah, this is the place alright. Damn. I look like a mess. Will they even let me join?_ Stepping in the front door, Lili looked up to see an elderly lady, who looked like she had a perpetual frown on her face, sitting behind the front desk. _Yeah…didn't think so._

"Can I help you, young lady?"

She glanced around trying to figure out who this woman was. Her eyes fell on the symbol in front of the scowling lady's desk.

_Okay, subconscious. I can take a hint._ "Can I speak to Admiral Kahoku?"

"The Admiral is out on active duty right now. He'll not be back for six months." She stated in monotone voice, paying no attention to the young girl in front of her.

_I should have known better. This is probably all my life will amount to…petty theft. Being part of a gang is definitely not my idea of success._ Crestfallen, Lili couldn't think of what she should say or remember the other name Britnee had given her. "Oh, alright. Thanks anyway, lady."

Having heard Lili's defeated tone, the elderly lady called after her. "Miss?" As Lili turned, the woman grazed over her grungy teenage appearance and her eyes softened. "Maybe Admiral Hackett can help you."

Hope filled her eyes. _Hackett, that's it!_ "Can you please see if Admiral Hackett with see me?"

oooOOOooo

He walked in the door, having every intention of heading to the office without bothering to stop and let Janice know he was here, seeing as he didn't plan on staying. _Damn, I can't believe I left those files. How irresponsible? It is completely out of my nature to be so disorganized._ However, he froze when he saw a petite girl standing in front of Janice, inquiring about him. She looked a little rough around the edges and slightly desperate; a look he had seen all too many times before. _Looks like a change of plans._

oooOOOooo

The elderly lady frowned softly as she checked the calendar on her desk. "Oh dear. He is out for the day with meetings and isn't available until tomorrow afternoon. Would then be okay?"

_Damn, I have to work at Rod's tattoo shop tomorrow. _"Don't worry about it. Thanks anyway." Her hopes dashed once again, she turned to leave, not paying attention to her surroundings. Her body thudded into a solid unseen object in front of her. _Smooth, Lili; you just walked into some guy._ "Sorry," she mumbled as she moved to step around the man. He placed his hands on her shoulders, halting her in place, and lifting her chin to look into her eyes. She raised her head slightly to meet his steady gaze. _What the hell does this man think he's doing? For the sake of the gods, I said I'm sorry. What more does this asshole want? _Her eyes narrowed as she glared back, silently defying him to say something to her. She needed to hit something…or someone.

oooOOOooo

He paused for a moment as he saw the defiant spark in her eyes. _Now there's a soldier if I've ever saw one._ He smiled. "Don't worry, Janice. I'll take the time to speak with this young lady now. We could always use a good recruit like this one; she definitely has potential."

Glancing up respectfully at him, the cranky woman nodded in reply. "Yes sir, Admiral. I didn't realize you'd be back today."

Hackett gestured to Lili. "If you would please follow me, Miss…?"

"Lili. Lilith Shepard." Her voice finally returned to her, strengthened…refusing to show weakness.

"Right, Miss Shepard…. Now tell me, what can the Alliance do for you?"

oooOOOooo

"How about you, Lieutenant? Why'd you join the Alliance?" Lili glanced up from her data pad and picked up her coffee. She looked at her fellow squad mates and smiled seductively. "Didn't you ever hear that women love a man in uniform? What better way to get to see them than to join them?"

A young soldier to her side perked up and grinned at her. "So, Shepard, how about that drink I promised you? We're heading back for some shore leave. We could catch up."

Lili playfully rolled her eyes and shook her head at his relentless persistence. "You're never going to give up are you? I said men in uniform, Sanders, not boys."

Rogers laughed nasally. "Shot down again, Sanders. Do you ever get the girl?"

"Not until she gives me a definite 'no'. Hell, I still may not even then. Mum always said I never knew when to give up, and, yeah, for your information, Rogers, I've gotten girls plenty of times. Shepard's just playin' hard to get." Sanders winked at Lili.

Cheng walked around the corner smiling at his former competition. "Sanders, did she just turn you down again? What does that make four times now?"

Sanders scoffed at his intrusion. "How many times has she turned you down, Cheng?" Cheng rolled his eyes, knowing where this was going. "Yeah, that's what I thought. I know I'm not the only one who has asked her out for drinks."

Cheng smiled at his defensiveness. "Yeah, but unlike some, I don't tend to make a fool by propositioning her in front of others countless times."

From across the mess, Toombs laid his data pad down and smirked. "You know, Lili…One of these days you're going to have to tell these gentlemen why you keep turning them down."

They all glanced at Toombs curiously. Sanders looked at him and raised an eyebrow. His voice rose slightly, trying to mask his amusement. "Oh, it's 'Lili' now is it? That's a little personal now."

Lili smirked. _If that's how they want to play, I'm game._ Her eyes narrowed seductively as she lightly bit her lip. "Oh, I could keep them guessing all day about who I already have plans to have a drink with…but that would be cruel, wouldn't it?"

Frowning, Rogers shot Lili a hateful glare as she smirked. "That would be fraternization though, wouldn't it? You know the regs on that, Shepard."

Sensing a little tension from Rogers, Lili smiled innocently and batted her eyelashes, baiting her teammate. "That would only apply if we were to leave for the same room or if there was any intention of doing anything after said drinks…but you wouldn't be accusing me of anything, now would you?"

The disembodied voice of their pilot came through the mess. "Lieutenant, we have an Alliance distress signal about 15 minutes out. No other vessels are in the area."

They all groaned in unison as a wicked smile graced Shepard's lips. "Thanks, Wesley. You heard the man. Suit up, kiddies. We're the only Alliance team in the area; that makes it our responsibility."

oooOOOooo

Lili heard Toombs' worried voice over the coms. "Shepard, this doesn't feel right. It's too calm."

Rogers' scoffing came over the com shortly after. "What? A little too quiet for you, Corporal?"

Silently agreeing with Toombs, Lili looked at the scanner in front of her. "Alright, guys. Be cautious. We don't know what the situation is, so be ready for anything. Sanders, go extra slow driving this thing, I want to make sure I see any and everything that comes at us in plenty of time. Cheng, that goes for you guys, too. Make sure you drive slow and keep a close eye out for movement and anything else that seems out of place, ok?"

Rogers sounded worried. "Lieutenant, I think we've found our distress beacon, but I see no life signs or any indication of who placed it."

Cheng had to agree with Toombs. "Lieutenant, I'm not superstitious or anything, but I think Toombs is right. Something feels off about this."

Lili watched in horror as a gigantic worm rose out of the ground and started to slam into the other vehicle, containing Toombs and Cheng. "Watch out!" Acid sprayed toward them and Sanders started to panic. "We lost shields! What the hell is that thing?"

Rogers managed let out a squeak of terror before she was able formulate enough words to answer. "I think that is a Thresher Maw."

The giant worm flipped their Mako with ease. Lili managed to crawl out, with Sanders and Rogers in tow. She glanced from behind the cover of the up-turned Mako, and saw that Tombs and Cheng had done the same. "Quick, Sanders. Grenade! Let's take this son of a bitch down!" Lili paused as she heard Rogers scream in pain. Looking over, she saw that her teammate had been struck by some of the monster's spit. Toombs' panicked voice rang out over the radio. "Cheng is down, took a blast of that acid to the face."

"Yeah, Rogers is, too."

The Maw flipped the second Mako, that Lili and Sanders had taken cover behind, causing pieces of shrapnel to come loose from it, slicing Lili's face across the bridge of her nose. She cringed as the blood began to trickle down to her lip, but held her ground. Sanders moved himself defensively in front of Shepard as more of the monster's acidic venom sped toward them. He groaned as it began burning through his heavy armor. Lili quickly grabbed him and moved behind more cover. Her hands were a flurry, trying removed as much of his armor as she could in order to put medigel directly on him. "I swear to the gods if you try to die on me now, I will kill you myself. You owe me that drink, Sanders. Stay with me!"

Sanders grunted in pain as he stared at Lili's vibrant green eyes. His were dulling rapidly. He lightly touched her cheek, smearing her blood, as a sad smile formed on his lips. "Ugh. I'm sorry, Shepard…Wish I could've shared some of that damn rose whiskey you rave about with you." His body shook slightly in her arms as he let out a rugged exhale and fell silent.

"Fuck! Toombs, are you still there?" Her voice dripped with desperation; she hoped that she hadn't lost all of her squad. Her heart beat quickened as she heard heavy panting over the radio.

"Yeah, I'm still here." His voice was shaky. She grimaced, knowing he was trying to hide how nervous he really was.

Lili panted as she ran for closer cover. "Sanders is gone. I grabbed the rest of his grenades. I think I have an idea, but it's going to be risky."

With the Maw protectively guarding its nest in-between their locations, Toombs laughed hoarsely over the radio again. "And this is different than any of your other ideas how?"

A cocky smile graced her lips at his response. "Inferno rounds, hun. I'm going to draw it out. When its back is to you, open fire on it. I'll lob Sanders' grenades and throw biotics at the same time. It may be enough to take this bitch down."

His sharp intake hissed over the com. "Shepard, that's suicide!"

Lili grinned slyly at his response. "It's only suicide if you plan on dying. I have every intention of killing this mother fucker, and then going to have a drink. We move in three…two…one!" Lili jumped out of cover and threw her first inferno grenade at the thing's face. Hearing Toombs' gun fire, she quickly rolled out of the way of the coming acid and threw a warp followed by a shockwave at it, causing a biotic explosion. The Maw burrowed underground leaving the two of them breathing heavily into the radio.

"Where the fuck did it go?"

Hearing the fear in his voice, she steeled her own, hoping to sound reassuring. "Maybe we wounded it and scared it off."

"Ha! Shepard, you really don't know much about Maws, do you?"

The Maw rose from the ground in front of Toombs. _Holy fuck! So much for wishful thinking. Hopefully that thing has a weakness for biotics. _Lili yelled and ran toward them, while alternating between using her biotics and throwing the remaining grenades. "Hey, I'm over here, you ugly son of a bitch." She threw her last grenade followed by a warp as the thing slithered down, dragging itself back into the ground. Lili let out a triumphant 'Whoop' until she heard Toombs' screams of panic. She looked over to where he had been hiding and saw that his cover had been destroyed when the Maw fell. He had been caught in the Maw's descent and was being drug under with it. Her blood ran cold as she turned to run toward him. "Toombs, hang on. NO!"

As the ground ceased rumbling from the Maw's decent, Lili was left standing there by herself. Her fingernails dug into the palms of her hands as she braced herself for another attack, but it never came. She shook her head in frustration and glared around as tears pricked at her eyes. Their makos had been destroyed, along with the coms; she was cut off from all contact to the ship. She managed to at least salvage what she could from the distress beacon and gather what remained of the rations and ammo that her fallen teammates carried on them. She said a small prayer to whatever gods they believed in or whoever would listen as she took their dog tags from their corpses for their families.

Lili took refuge in a small alcove in the mountain. Her tech skills weren't the best, but she began the long task of trying to produce an outgoing signal from the damaged beacon. It took the better part of a week before she managed to produce a small one. She glanced at the already depleted rations and water she had, hoping that rescue would come soon.

Eight days passed, the later three Lili had survived without food or water. She was starting to hallucinate. The woman she dreamt about showed up again that night, trying to keep her sane and coherently so. "Lilith, we are so proud of you. You have an amazing destiny ahead of you. Keep your head high and your heart strong." The man arrived not long after, though she didn't see where he came from. "Lilith." His deep voice resonated through her, giving her hope. "My child, never forget who you are and what you stand for. Don't let anyone tell you what to believe."

She heard Britnee's voice in the wee hours of the morning; at least she thought it was morning. Her dearest friend was telling her that she was on her way and only a few hours out. The woman with her leaned down and brushed Lili's curls out of her face, kissing her forehead. "It won't be long now, baby. We love you. Make us proud."

oooOOOooo

Finally, Lili heard voices she didn't recognize. _Oh please tell me there's someone here, and I'm not just going crazy. _The lights above burned her eyes painfully and did nothing to dull the throbbing in her head.

"She was severely dehydrated; probably suffered from hallucinations. From what we can tell, she has been down there for the better part of a week without food. Honestly, she wouldn't have lasted much longer. Shepard's lucky we arrived when we did, Captain. We have a saline drip going and want to keep her for a few more days to monitor her."

Anderson looked over at Lili with sympathy in his eyes. "And what about the scar across her nose?"

The doctor looked confused. "I'm not really sure. The wound was already scarred over by the time your men found her. If she received it down there, the only guess I've got is that her biotics healed her, but she'd have to be pretty powerful to heal a deep wound that quickly. It's a rarity for human biotics to have that kind of power, sir."

"Thank you, doctor." The physician nodded and exited the med bay.

Lili's eyes shot open upon hearing the familiar voice. Her lips cracked as a rasp of her actual voice left her body. "Captain Anderson, is that you?"

Smiling down at her painful gaze, he lowered the lights in the room. "Looks like you went through quite a bit down there, Shepard. What happened exactly?"

As she remembered the couple that was with her in the cave, she felt a desire to meet and thank them for taking care of her well up in her chest. "Captain, what about the couple that was with me? Did we get them out in time?"

Confused and worried, he looked down at Lili. "Lili, there was no one down there with you. The doctor says you were likely suffering from hallucinations." He paused, watching her face as she tried to take in how close to death she'd really been. "What happen to the rest of your squad? We found Sanders, Rogers and Cheng, but what happened to Corporal Toombs?"

Lili closed her eyes to prevent the tears that would finally fall. "I believe it was a Thresher Maw, sir. We went to investigate an Alliance distress beacon, and we weren't expecting it."

Anderson looked at her face with curiosity. "And the scar across your nose?"

Lili smiled mischievously, remembering when the shrapnel had made contact with her face. "I don't think the maw liked me too much, considering it threw my Mako at me."

Anderson frowned at her, trying to hide his pride at her tenacity to survive. "I see. Well, get some rest, soldier. We need you at your best. Once you get your strength back up, we're sending you to Rio. It's time you finished your N training with the new class of 7 recruits."

_My whole fucking squad dies and they reward me with N7 training? What the fuck is wrong with this picture? _She blinked rapidly, unsure at what she was hearing. "N7, sir? Why me?" Confusion knitted her brow.

Anderson smiled proudly at her, like a father would his child. "N7 recruits are the best of the best. That's you, Lieutenant."


End file.
